Quality of Escape 21 (Ordering soon)

[thoer]

Our Escape 17B was our 4th RV and our 21 is our 5th. We have been far more than satisfied with both the 17 and the 21. That is not something I could say about RV #3 which was another brand fiberglass trailer. The Escape is so much better made than our other fiberglass trailer was, in every possible way.

[Kodakajika]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to respond. It's been very helpful and reassuring that we have been on the right track. We saw a lot of Escape's in British Columbia in 2018, and were very impressed with them from the outside. We will be seeing one in our area soon, and then will order if all is well. Thanks again everyone.

[oldwave]

We own a 21 picked up in 2017. Construction quality was firs rate, no leaks, all systems worked. A minor leak of the pec contention under the sink fixed in a few minutes with two wrenches. Hot water heater controller died replaced under warranty. Tows like a dream and is very well made. Good luck.

[Bobbito]

We had three very minor issues on delivery in 2015. (2 were stripped screws and the other a missing sink seal and improperly assembly). At the time it was built Reace and Tammy had to cut short their trip to the Blue Bonnet trailer rally to return and deal with staff illness and injury. I gather some staff were doing jobs they weren’t too familiar with. Considering all that goes into building an Escape I was surprised there weren’t more issues. Our previous trailer, a Nash, had more issues on delivery, including one brake that had a broken wire and wasn’t picked up until a service. Also its appliances were poorer quality. Then there was the fact that 2 leaks over 12 years caused us to pretty well give it away. (First leak repair $6800; second would have been over $5000) Reace and Tammy were, and I believe continue to be, dedicated to their customers. I believe they may not respond to emails as quickly as a phone call. ETI has ALWAYS called me back within a day. Many times I end up talking with the owners about issues, as they take the reins when their staff lack the knowledge on a particular problem. Though I do rely on this forum for advice, I find that their response is usually more helpful. It’s just not possible to bother them about every little thing.

I haven’t encountered many businesses who work so hard for their customers. I would definitely buy another Escape if I needed a new FG trailer, even with the new business partners.

In another thread someone dissed Reace for not taking an opportunity to greet them while they picked up their trailer. Before we bought our trailer I watched a video interview of Reace and Tammy by an RV emagazine and saw that Reace is incredibly quiet, definitely an introvert. He looked very uncomfortable and let Tammy do the talking. But ask Reace something or ask for help and his warm caring personality comes out. He and Tammy have personally helped us out many times and demonstrated they go out of their way to get things right. Even if they have a less control of the operation it has to be far better than the competition.

Sorry for the length of this rah-rah rant. I know there are problems with some builds and it is really important to know about them. However I feel that often people without problems don’t take the time to post about their good experiences, leading newcomers to believe that Escape trailers are generally a poor product. Not so!

Bob K

[skiman]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

We had three very minor issues on delivery in 2015. (2 were stripped screws and the other a missing sink seal and improperly assembly). At the time it was built Reace and Tammy had to cut short their trip to the Blue Bonnet trailer rally to return and deal with staff illness and injury. I gather some staff were doing jobs they weren’t too familiar with. Considering all that goes into building an Escape I was surprised there weren’t more issues. Our previous trailer, a Nash, had more issues on delivery, including one brake that had a broken wire and wasn’t picked up until a service. Also its appliances were poorer quality. Then there was the fact that 2 leaks over 12 years caused us to pretty well give it away. (First leak repair $6800; second would have been over $5000) Reace and Tammy were, and I believe continue to be, dedicated to their customers. I believe they may not respond to emails as quickly as a phone call. ETI has ALWAYS called me back within a day. Many times I end up talking with the owners about issues, as they take the reins when their staff lack the knowledge on a particular problem. Though I do rely on this forum for advice, I find that their response is usually more helpful. It’s just not possible to bother them about every little thing.

I haven’t encountered many businesses who work so hard for their customers. I would definitely buy another Escape if I needed a new FG trailer, even with the new business partners.

In another thread someone dissed Reace for not taking an opportunity to greet them while they picked up their trailer. Before we bought our trailer I watched a video interview of Reace and Tammy by an RV emagazine and saw that Reace is incredibly quiet, definitely an introvert. He looked very uncomfortable and let Tammy do the talking. But ask Reace something or ask for help and his warm caring personality comes out. He and Tammy have personally helped us out many times and demonstrated they go out of their way to get things right. Even if they have a less control of the operation it has to be far better than the competition.

Sorry for the length of this rah-rah rant. I know there are problems with some builds and it is really important to know about them. However I feel that often people without problems don’t take the time to post about their good experiences, leading newcomers to believe that Escape trailers are generally a poor product. Not so!

Bob K

When we picked up our 2014 21', Reace was walking by and noticed our Chevy tires were a bit low. He personally helped air up the tires. He made recommendations as to tire pressures that I still use today.

After 5 years we are still happy. No plans to switch to anything else. ETI has always been very helpful and professional.

[Jake930]

We picked up our E21 on October 12th 2016. Since that time we have spent about 400 nights in it, 25000 miles on it. Only three problems, 1. On going water heater problem that started about 8 months after pickup, and no one seems to be able to figure it out. 2. Stove burners fall apart now and than. I’ve become very proficient reassembling them. 3. Our 6lb Yorkshire terrier watch dog, Winston, went through the screen door and ripped it in the bottom left hand corner. That’s it , none of them Escapes fault.
We’ve owned three other RVs over the years. First one was an Aliner back when the family owned the company. Not a problem in 5 years. Next two were Chalets. A 16 ft we owned for a year. Lots of problems. Next was a 19 ft for 11 years. That one was a leaker from day one.
We’re pretty happy with our 21. Could use a bit more room, but we’ve learnt to deal with it. When’s that 23 ft coming out?

[Seneca]

With all due respect to the guy who made the alarming post about the quality of his unit, he was unhappy before he walked through the front door (Canada wouldn't let him bring his pistol into the country and the employees in the parking lot were insufficiently effusive). That's if I'm remembering the right thread.

I picked up an Escape 19 in late May and have been pleasantly surprised by the quality. Like any custom made, fairly complex piece of gear, you should expect a few punch list type items. My punch list consisted of two things--after a couple of times using the shower, the coupling of the shower head hose to the sink faucet worked loose and required hand tightening (30 sec. problem), and the latch to the outer storage area is defective (but the trailer has so much storage I haven't used that storage, or bothered to get it fixed yet).

Oh, and it's really important that after 60 miles or so you torque the lug nuts on the wheels. They do loosen up. But, based on my experience, if you're comfortable doing taking care of that chore, any little stuff like I've described is going to be manageable. If you're not comfortable taking care of things like that, you might re-consider whether an RV is the right choice for you (said by a newbie who's terrified at the prospect of having to winterize his toy in a couple of months).

[EllieB]

Picked up our 5.0 ta a year ago. Any problems were “operator error” & easily remedied with a call to Escape. Dave in service was really responsive & helpful. We are extremely pleased.

[Fox hunt]

I've owned two escapes my last one is a 5.0 picked up in 2017. I am not handy with repairs and i have limited RV knowledge so it was important that things worked properly . I only had one issue with the small window. I contacted Escape and Reace immediately contacted me and set up a replacement for the window. Otherwise fridge/furnace plumbing awning etc... all work perfectly. I have always received great customer service from Escape.

[drjp]

Originally Posted by Chotch

We have a 2017 5.0 TA that we had delivered to CT. So there was no way to do an inspection before payment or even an orientation. Couldn't be happier with our purchase. The only problem we had was with a window which was a manufacturer defect, not anything to do with the installation. My little problem was easily repaired by myself with information and parts supplied by ETI. The person at ETI that assisted me was non other than owner of the company. I sent an email, got a reply I believe the same day in a phone call from Reace. The necessary parts showed up in 2 days.
From what I have seen on this forum most problems are not related to design or construction of the trailer but to issues with appliances or purchased components and these are the same components you would find in almost any other brand of RV. From what I've seen here most people get quick and satisfactory resolution to their problem.
IMHO the quality and design of the Escape in general is far better than than the RV industry standard. 😎

I agree. 2017 17B. Water heater problem in first weeks was known, but intermittent, issue with a circuit board that Reace personally diagnosed and handled with a promptly mailed part. And one Michener drawer's slider rails weren't installed right and required a little fixin'. That's it.
I've found WAY the biggest issues on this site are with the appliances installed which are industry standard. I had a lot of customizations--two external antennae, custom floors, upholstery, valances. Fit and finish are excellent fore and aft. Heard grief with others like Casita.
Jonathan

[Rossue]

A month from 5 year mark with our 21 which we ordered after owning a 2010 17B bought used almost 6 years ago.
Both trailers were very similar although the 2010 had better stock flooring- and we made the mistake of not special ordering for the 21. That is one if those things that is hard to do later. All in all with the 21 we are very happy and continue to camp & mod- which means we plan to keep it a while.

[Kodakajika]

Thanks everyone. We are feeling very comfortable that we have found the right kind of trailer for my wife and I. I hope to see some of you on the road in the future as we camp in North America.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by Kodakajika

Thanks everyone. We are feeling very comfortable that we have found the right kind of trailer for my wife and I. I hope to see some of you on the road in the future as we camp in North America.

We like a much firmer bed than the stock mattress in the 21. ETI put us in direct contact with their mattress supplier in Canada and we were able to get a custom built mattress with the cut corner, and were credited $150 for not using the ETI version. That's customer service.

[Fun&Sun]

We have a 2017 - 21, we have had a few minor problems but nothing that would stop us from enjoying our trip. Escape has always been there to help or make suggestions for repairs on the road.
We have lived in ours for about 400 nights in the 2 years we have owed it and put on 40,000Kms (25,000 miles). I would put the quality of Escape very high and would not hesitate to give them a very high recommendation.

[vmomara]

Chama, new 21I was two days behind you picking up our 21' named "Classy" for our Boston terriers. Since then 4,500 mi, through 14 states. My list of issues have been ____________0. Still looking.

[AnglingMad]

Originally Posted by rubicon327

Problems (usually minor) that one person may be having can be discussed on the forum at length. These threads take on a life of their own. We have to remember that there is a pretty small sample size here on the forum but overall I can tell most are more than satisfied with their Escape. I doubt that ~360 people and 175 trailers would come from all over North America to attend the 2019 customer appreciation rally if these owners had any issues with the company that were unresolved. Keep it all in perspective.

Excellent post.
I echo this and can say that like myself I did my research prior ordering. We collected our new 21 in May this year and we are very pleased with our purchase. We also attended the Annual rally whereupon owners graciously shared their trailering knowledge and experience. For niche small company we could not believe how well supported this event was.

[shrimp]

We bought a 21’ Escape in 2014. We used it for over two years during which we very much enjoyed the quality and customer support from the owners and employees at Escape. We sold the trailer in 2017 while we moved to a new home. We ordered a new 21’ this past July and found the buying experience great. Every question or concern was always dealt with immediately and properly. We picked up the new trailer on October 4. The manager and staff spent over two hours going through the new trailer and answering our questions. The new trailer has more standard features than our first trailer and we added most other options. After spending a few days driving it home we found the quality as good as the first Escape. In our minds no other trailer in this price range can compare to the quality of this new Escape. They are a great trailer and the new management is just as wonderful to work and deal with, as the previous owners were. Alma & Paul.

[Barb]

Koda,
My husband and I researched campers for 4 years before replacing our 15 year old Aliner (pictured in Avatar at Faria Beach Campground). We picked up our E21 in July and on our 2 week voyage home we were smashed by marble sized hail for about 30 minutes going into North Yellowstone. Yesterday we did a detailed clean up of the exterior and could not find any chips/defects in the fiberglass clearcoat or two solar panels. After 3 months and 20 nights camping the E21still has not shown a problem. We are very happy with our purchase.

[vmomara]

I don't know if anyone else has had a problem with the white fabric on my cover is deteriorating. I contacted escape and they provided the vendor info to which I gave all documentation necessary for replacement. They were very good to deal with so far. Will keep you posted.

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by Kodakajika

I am a bit nervous after finding a few posts online stating the quality of their Escape trailer was not very good. (crooked window and other things like that) How have you owners been satisfied with yours? Should I expect a lot of small repairs starting out, or is this a finished product? Thank you!

We currently travel full time in our 2017 21’ TT and can attest to the great quality of this product and customer service.

After just returning from a 16,000 mile journey to Alaska, we can’t say enough about how well our trailer handled itself.

Fred M.